Die Another Day
by Kylie Anderson
Summary: When a crime scene explodes, the team realizes it isn't an ordinary case. But what is Ziva's connection? Will she be arrested? Or worse, killed?
1. Chapter 1

Die Another Day

Chapter 1

Ziva David glanced around the room she was in. It was carefully cleaned and it appeared as if it belonged in some magazine. The only probably with it was the dead marine in the middle of the floor. Anthony DiNozzo walked in and stood beside Ziva. "Hmm…nice house." Tony commented.

At that moment, Leroy Jethro Gibbs entered the room. "Wife's a big designer," Gibbs said quickly. "No marine could afford this on a regular pay."

Tony shrugged. "I guess I'm in the wrong line of business." Tony said taking crime scene photographs.

There was silence as the three agents moved around the room gathering evidence. Timothy McGee entered the room with an evidence bag in his hand. "Boss, I found something." McGee said quickly breaking the silence.

As McGee handed Gibbs the evidence bag that held a piece of paper, Ziva and Tony gathered around him. Gibbs squinted to read the paper. "I can't read this McGee! It's just lines and scribbles." Gibbs said irritated.

Ziva shook her head taking the piece of paper in her hand. "No. This is Hebrew." Ziva said swiftly.

It was as if everyone was holding their breath as Ziva's eyes moved over the paper- right to left. Ziva looked up at the others dreadfully. There was a look of fear in her eyes. "Everyone out of the house now!" Ziva shouted quickly.

For a moment, the three agents just stood looking at Ziva. "Bomb!" Ziva said urgently.

That was a word that everyone understood perfectly fine. In a matter of minutes, the entire house was clear and seconds after that, the house blew up. Tony, Ziva, Gibbs and McGee watched from a safe distance. "Well," Tony said slowly. "So much for the silk curtains…"

((-))

Back at NCIS, Gibbs looked at Ziva expectantly for a translation. "Are you waiting for Christmas?" Gibbs fired off.

Sighing, Ziva shook her head. "Well, this message is very simple." Ziva said shortly.

_Ziva,_

_There is a bomb in the house. If you don't believe me, wait and die. If you do believe me, you shall live. _

_Shalom. _

Tony and McGee exchanged odd looks. "The note was addressed to you?" Tony questioned.

Ziva nodded. "Yes," Ziva said calmly.

This concept made no sense to any of them. "How could a person know you would be investigating this case?" McGee asked. "I mean, there's a ton of NCIS agents. It's just the luck of the draw that we got the case."

There was silence as they thought of McGee's words.

((-))

Dr. Donald Mallard stood over the charred remains of the marine. Jimmy Palmer joined Ducky's side. "What a way to go," Palmer commented.

Looking over at his assistant, Ducky gave him a questioning glance. "What do you mean Mr. Palmer?" Ducky asked curiously.

"Well, first he was stabbed and then he was blown up. So I guess it's like dying twice…only he was dead before he was blown up, so I suppose that doesn't count as dying…" Palmer said stuttering.

Tony and Gibbs happened to enter the morgue at that time. "Why do I always hear the end of people's conversations?" Tony questioned shaking his head.

Gibbs chose to ignore both Tony and Palmer. He held his cup of coffee close to him. "You said you had something for us." Gibbs said expectantly.

Ducky nodded. "Ah yes!" Ducky said. "Seaman Antonio DiGrizze was stabbed by a very blunt knife. In fact, it was so blunt, a piece of it broke off in him."

With that, Ducky took an instrument off of a table and placed in into the body pulling out a small metal piece. He placed it in a plastic bag. "You can give this to Abby and when you find the knife, you can match it to this." Ducky said proudly.

Gibbs took the evidence bag and began to quickly leave with Tony on his heels. "It's odd, isn't it?" Ducky question as Gibbs and Tony were about to leave. "His name is almost like yours Anthony."

Pausing for a minute, Tony and Gibbs considered that. "Creepy," Tony said shrugging it off before leaving for the elevator.

((-))

Ziva's desk phone rang. She tiredly reached for it. Gibbs and Tony had just returned from autopsy. "Hello?" Ziva answered.

There was a small chuckle from the background. "Shalom Ziva," A male voice said tauntingly.

It wasn't just the word 'shalom' that caught her attention. The man's accent was very Israeli or Middle Eastern at the least. "Who might you be?" Ziva continued carefully.

"I believe you know who I am. If you don't know who I am, then you aren't a very good agent." The man said in Hebrew.

Ziva was now standing. She was concerned for it wasn't often she got someone to speak Hebrew who knew her name. She flipped the phone to speaker and motioned for the others to listen. "Can we please speak English? I really must get used to the language." Ziva said in English.

"You just want your friends who are standing beside you to understand our conversation." The man replied in English. "You were never the greatest Mossad officer Ziva. I heard you switch the phone to speaker. Now you're brother…Ari was a _fantastic_ Mossad officer."

Gibbs did not look too pleased with this statement. That was the only problem with Gibbs. He could never hear the sarcasm in people's voices, just like the man had just used. "What is your reason for calling?" Ziva questioned looking slightly angry.

"I am calling to warn you Ziva. Funny how Seaman Antonio DiGrizze's name is almost like that of Anthony DiNozzo's, yes? All those around you are going to die. Hamas is out for revenge. They know you killed Ari as does your father. Basically, the Israeli government wants to arrest you while Hamas wants to kill your friends and you." The voice said heavily. "There is no way out Ziva. You are either to be arrested or dead."

Ziva shook her head. "You claim I have no options. This tells me that you obviously don't know me." Ziva said firmly.

There was a laugh on the other end. "Oh, but how I do know you Ziva! Unfortunately, I work with Hamas. You would have been killed today if I hadn't left that note." The man said quietly. "Since I know you, I know you won't stop until someone stops you. I am stopping you. Hamas is already after DiNozzo. You have to turn yourself in."

Now it was Ziva's turn to laugh. "You seriously need lessons in English! What you are saying makes no sense! The Israeli government can't touch me. When the crime was committed, it was in America thus the American government has jurisdiction." Ziva said calmly.

"Yes, but Israel has a plan to force the American government to extradite you to Israel." The man explained.

"If you work for Hamas, you wouldn't be helping me." Ziva pointed out.

It was very quiet on the other end. "I was forced to work with Hamas. They pointed a gun at me and told me to make a bomb. I was forced to become a member." The voice said sadly. "I want to help you Ziva because I never forgot my first mission with Mossad…or my first partner."

There was a spark of recollection in Ziva's face. Before she could say another word, the line was dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tony had seen Ziva in many different lights. He had seen her angry and very angry. He assumed that those were the only emotions she had. However, after the call was disconnected, there was a look of sadness in Ziva's eyes. "Who is he?" Gibbs asked harshly.

Looking up into Gibbs's cold eyes, Ziva could barely help but smile. "You and Jenny…you were very, very _close_ partners, no?" Ziva questioned.

Gibbs didn't break his harsh stare. "Get to the point David!" Gibbs barked.

His stern voice reminded Ziva of the situation at hand and she nodded grimly. "When I joined Mossad, I was partnered with Amir Nadav. He was my first partner and I was his first partner. We never had a failed mission…until we had planted a bomb in the wrong hotel. It was supposed to be the headquarters of a terrorist group…but we screwed up…" Ziva said with tears in her eyes.

No one had ever seen Ziva with tears in her eyes. No one had ever thought that Ziva would cry. "Gibbs…we killed innocent people! Amir made the bomb and we planted it…As we were walking out, a little girl walked in and that's when I knew we had the wrong hotel. There was nothing we could do. The bomb was time activated." Ziva said heavily letting a few tears fall before wiping them away.

"Why didn't this make the news?" McGee questioned lightly.

Ziva shook her head. "Do you think that Mossad wanted the world to find out they screwed up again? They've had so many failed missions, so they just covered this one up. Believe me when I saw Amir and I paid dearly…" Ziva said angrily. "I suppose Hamas found out and forced him to become a member."

Tony didn't feel her statement was right. "No one can force someone to become a terrorist." Tony stated quietly. "They have the right to make their own decision."

This only angered Ziva more. "You have no idea what Hamas is like. Amir was forced to join. He would not be helping me if this wasn't so! You don't know what Israeli's like right now! People are strapping bombs to themselves! Little children being used as bait to kill American soldiers!" Ziva said raising her voice. "You don't see the blood on the street every morning! Jewish people are constantly being persecuted because they believe we're 'different'! I know what it's like! I've seen it!"

There was silence. Ziva's chest was heaving from all of her yelling. She quickly moved past Tony, Gibbs and McGee towards the elevator. "Don't walk out those doors Ziva." Gibbs warned.

Ziva turned. "I have no allegiance to NCIS. I have no allegiance to Mossad. I have an allegiance to myself." Ziva said quickly before walking forward again.

"Do you really believe that?" Gibbs asked.

In all honesty, Ziva didn't know what to believe anymore. She paused knowing she could never face them. However, she wanted to trust them. She wanted to have an allegiance to them. "I have an allegiance to my friends as well." Ziva said quietly. "Believe me, no one is going to kill my friends."

Hearing Ziva call them her 'friends' made McGee think for a moment. Indeed, they were co-workers, but day in and day out, they really had become close friends. Gibbs gave her a small smile. "No one is contradicting _that_ David." Gibbs replied coolly.

Ziva smiled back at Gibbs before walking to her desk and sitting down. "McGee, figure out where Amir called from." Gibbs barked suddenly using his harsh tone again. "DiNozzo, see if Abby has anything. David, tell me everything about Amir and Hamas."

((-))

When Tony walked into Abby's lab, his eardrums were bursting for the music was blasted up. He made his way over to Abby, who hadn't even noticed Tony walk in. "Abby!" Tony shouted.

Abby didn't even hear Tony. "Abby!" Tony yelled waving to get her attention.

Once she noticed him, she smiled before turning the music down. "What is that racket?" Tony asked when the music was finally low enough he could talk over it.

"_Die Another Day _by Madonna," Abby replied grinning. "Is such a great song!"

Tony sighed. "I'm such it's fantastic when it isn't up to like a thousand hertz." Tony muttered.

Abby looked at him expectantly. He handed her a Caf-Pow! and Abby grinned happily. "Thank you." Abby said before going over to her computer.

"Tell me you have something," Tony said.

"Well, I have this really cool necklace that my ex-boyfriend got me…" Abby began.

Tony rolled his eyes. "About the case!" Tony said shaking his head.

Abby continued to grin. "The tip of the knife that Ducky found in Antonio DiGrizze is from a hunting knife called 'Rupert's Knifes'. I know, it's not really a creative title, but that's the name of the company." Abby said shrugging.

Looking at the evidence bag, Tony looked at Abby questioningly. "How could you possibly tell from this little bit of metal?" Tony asked.

"Aw…that's where the fun is Tony!" Abby said laughing. "But, a good séance doesn't reveal her talks with the dead…"

Shaking his head, Tony grabbed the report from Abby and quickly leaving the lab with a smirk on his face.

((-))

Ziva sat in her apartment alert. Gibbs had sent them all home at ten o'clock at night and looking at her clock, Ziva saw it was past one o'clock in the morning. She felt more tired than she had ever felt in her life. If there was one thing Ziva wanted, it was sleep. However, she knew she could not sleep. She had to be alert in case trouble came her way.

A soft rapping sound made Ziva jump. She grabbed her gun realizing someone was knocking on her door. Slowly, she made her way to the door. She opened it cautiously. There she saw a Middle Eastern man. A trail of blood followed him. He was bent over in pain. He fell to his knees. "Amir!" Ziva cried rushing to his side.

"Shalom...Ziva…" Amir said with a pained expression.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Blood was caked on Ziva's hands. It felt utterly cold to Ziva. She barely noticed Tony walked into the waiting room followed by Gibbs and McGee. "Ziva?" Gibbs questioned with a gentle voice.

The clock in the lobby now read three o'clock…in the morning. Ziva looked up at Gibbs with tears in her eyes. "He just showed up at my door…and he was bleeding…" Ziva said shakily.

A look of compassion was seen in Gibbs's eyes. He nodded gently. "Did he say anything?" Gibbs continued.

Tears freely rolled down Ziva's cheeks. "Amir…said he wanted his ashes spread over the Dead Sea…" Ziva said closing her eyes. "I think it's too late."

Tony sat next to Ziva and held her hand noticing they were covered in blood. "It's never too late." Tony told her calmly.

((-))

After washing her hands in the hospital bathroom, Ziva sat in the waiting room in pure silence. She could feel Tony's, McGee's and Gibbs's eyes on her, but she didn't care. The only thing that mattered in that moment was Amir.

A doctor came out and Ziva sprung up. "Is Amir Nadav's family here?" The old male doctor questioned.

Gibbs looked at him. "We're NCIS investigating the case…" Gibbs began while McGee nodded behind him.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry I can only release information to Amir Nadav's family…" The doctor began.

"Amir's family is dead." Ziva interrupted him. "His parents and brother were all killed in a car bomb. I will act as his next of kin."

It was obvious Ziva wasn't going to back down from her position and neither was the doctor. Eventually the doctor gave in, nodding. "Alright, Mr. Nadav's condition is very critical right now. It appears he was tortured. He has serve burns, several broken ribs, a punctured lung, a skull fracture, a gunshot wound to the leg…" The doctor said sighing. "The list goes on. He's awake, but…the chances aren't very good. We haven't even taken into account the effects that the internal bleeding will have had even though we stopped it…"

"Where is he?" Ziva cut in quickly.

The doctor looked tired. "Room 119," The doctor replied.

Without even waiting a second, Ziva pushed past the doctor and looked around for room 119. Once she found it, she entered quickly with Gibbs, McGee and Tony hot on her heels. Amir was lying on the bed silently. "Shalom Ziva," Amir said in a raspy voice.

Ziva never felt more relived in her life. She moved over to Amir's side and grasped his hand. "Shalom Amir," Ziva returned. "These are my co-workers at NCIS."

Amir nodded. "The doctors say I won't last the night." Amir said in Hebrew.

Tony and McGee looked at each other confused. Gibbs simply watched Ziva and Amir. "That's not true! You'll make it." Ziva said quickly in Hebrew.

There was a sense of urgency in Amir's eyes. "Ziva, Hamas found out I helped you…they did this to me. They tortured me until I gave them up your apartment address…" Amir said switching back to English. "After that, they let me go, but they won't stop until I'm dead. That's why I came to warn you…"

"My address means nothing. I can move." Ziva said with tears in her eyes. "But I could never get another Amir."

Amir gave her a small laugh. "Ziva, my dear, please…I need you to focus. You and I both know that I shall not walk out these doors. So, before I die, I want to make sure that Hamas doesn't kill you too." Amir said gently. "I'm going to tell you everything that I know."

Before Ziva could say a word, Gibbs jumped in. "Where is Hamas hiding?" Gibbs asked briskly.

"They change locations everyday. They have grown smarter since their last encounter with you Agent Gibbs. We learn about the locations ten minutes before we're supposed to be there." Amir replied.

"Why is Hamas going after people Ziva knows?" McGee piped up.

There was a sigh from Amir. "I suppose they want her to know what it feels like to lose a friend." Amir answered.

Outraged, Ziva stood up. "I lost a brother! So, he was my half-brother, but I still lost him! Does anyone think of that? I…I didn't want to shoot him. He left me with no choice!" Ziva said angrily.

Amir nodded. "I know Ziva, my dear. Please remember I am just the…what is it?" Amir asked finding a loss for words. "Postman…something like that."

"Messenger," Tony muttered under his breath.

There was silence as Amir closed his eyes for a short while before opening them. "Ziva, have you gotten any sleep since I called?" Amir questioned suddenly.

Surprised, Ziva shook her head. "No, why?" Ziva asked.

Another small laugh escaped Amir. "You are always so determined Ziva. However, I doubt this has to do with determination. Are you afraid for your friends? I know you are. Don't worry, Ziva. It will all be alright." Amir said calmly in Hebrew.

Ziva nodded. "You are the only person who really understands me." Ziva replied in Hebrew.

"And I am the only person you have let understand you," Amir said in Hebrew before looking over at Gibbs, Tony and McGee. "You have good friends. Why else would they be here Ziva? You don't need to be afraid of everyone."

They locked eyes for a moment. Amir smiled with his eyes fluttering. "Shalom Ziva…" Amir said quietly before he closed his eyes.

A shrill loud went off as the heart monitor flat lined. Ziva was still holding Amir's hand. "No! No! Amir!" Ziva cried desperately.

Thick hands guided Ziva away from Amir. She knew in her heart he was dead…but she couldn't accept it in her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was five o'clock in the morning and no one had gotten any rest. Gibbs was driving down a dark street and Ziva sat next to him in the passenger side. "I can go home you know." Ziva said speaking through the darkness.

"No, you can't go home. First, you apartment is a secondary crime scene. Second, Hamas knows where you apartment is. They could easily kill you." Gibbs said in a firm tone.

It became silent again. Ziva wanted to go home and sleep in her own covers. She wanted to cry in the darkness of her bedroom. As much as she wanted to go home, Gibbs's argument was one that would be hard to argue against.

When the car pulled into the driveway of Gibbs's house, Ziva practically jumped out of it. He led in her inside. "You can sleep in the guest room." Gibbs said in a soft tone.

"Why are you doing this?" Ziva asked suddenly. "Do you feel sorry for me?"

Gibbs looked at her tiredly. "No David, I'm doing this because you can't go into your apartment right now. McGee doesn't have an extra room and unless you want to sleep in the same bed, DiNozzo doesn't either. Ducky offered, but I doubt you want to meet his mother…" Gibbs said in a firm, yet caring voice.

There was a look of understanding in her face. "Oh," Ziva said quietly.

((-))

Once Ziva was sure Gibbs had gone to bed, she let her tears come out. She started sobbing. Sadness ripped through Ziva's body. She felt so sick and all she could do was cry.

((-))

Before Gibbs could close his eyes, he heard a horrible sound. It sounded like a trapped animal. For a minute, he couldn't figure out what was making the sound until he realized that Ziva was staying at his house.

He got out of his bed remembering what it was like losing Shannon, Kelly, Kate… He remembered the sadness that followed and he made his way to the guest room. Standing at the doorway, Gibbs felt like he was intruding on a personal moment. Ziva was lying on the bed sobbing.

Ziva had a hard outer core, but her inner core was pure fluff. In a way, she reminded Gibbs of himself. "Ziva?" Gibbs questioned quietly.

It was silent. "Gibbs? Did I wake you? I'm sorry. It's okay." Ziva's voice came from the darkness.

"I really am sorry." Gibbs said gently.

It became silent again and Gibbs knew he had made the wrong decision. Ziva didn't want to talk and he doubted she would. All he managed to do was make things worse.

((-))

McGee and Tony were already sitting at their computers by the time Ziva and Gibbs walked out of the elevator. No one said a word to anyone. It was like they were all walking on eggshells. Ziva's phone rang and she answered it quickly. "David," Ziva said shortly.

"Where are your manners Ziva? Do you not say 'shalom' anymore?" A familiar voice questioned in Hebrew.

"Papa," Ziva said in Hebrew recognizing the voice at once.

There was a chuckle on the other end. "Yes, it is me Ziva. Now, can you please explain to me what is going on? I'm hearing that you killed Ari. Is that true?" Her father asked in Hebrew.

Ziva looked directly at Tony, McGee and Gibbs. They now realized something was going on for she wasn't speaking English. "No," Ziva lied calmly in Hebrew. "I did not kill Ari."

"Did you kill Amir?" Her father continued in Hebrew.

"Why are you accusing me of such crimes? I did not kill Amir nor Ari!" Ziva said in Hebrew in an angry voice.

There was a heavy sigh on the other end. "I have evidence that you killed both Ari and Amir. I will be turning the evidence over to the American authorities." Her father said in Hebrew.

Horror filled Ziva's face. "You wouldn't…" Ziva began in English.

"It is rude to switch languages during a conversation Ziva. Now, I am planning on doing this. If you committed a crime, you should pay the price." Her father said in Hebrew.

Ziva wasn't sure where the conversation was going, but she knew she didn't like it. "Well, it's nice to see you have a sense of moral. Too bad you never taught your son that. He became a terrorist." Ziva said in English. "I'm glad he's dead."

With that, Ziva hung up the phone. "You were talking to your father…right?" Tony questioned. "They're all jerks."

"I understand that, but I'm sure your father never thought to turn you in to the police." Ziva said heavily.

Gibbs looked at her curiously. "Your father plans on turning you in?" Gibbs asked. "Why?"

"He says he has evidence." Ziva said shrugging. "He believes I killed Ari, which I did, but he also thinks I killed Amir."

McGee shook his head. "I bet Hamas gave him the evidence." McGee stated.

"No doubt about that," Ziva confirmed.

Tony looked at Ziva before sighing. "Not a lot of people like you, do they?" Tony questioned smiling.

Ziva gave him a sneer before turning back to her desk.

**A/N- This _IS NOT_ Gibbs/Ziva. It was purely written to show the friendship and understanding between the two. Not romance. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jenny Shepard glanced at the package on her desk before picking it up. She marched to the door to her office with the package in hand. Something stopped her. She knew she probably should just throw the package in the garbage, but there was something else telling her she needed to deal with the matter at hand. Sighing, Jenny made her way down to Gibbs's team.

((-))

Gibbs saw Jenny coming with a package in hand. He knew immediately that she probably had the evidence against Ziva in the package. It was silent as Jenny stood in front of Ziva. "This was mailed to NCIS." Jenny said slowly. "It has your name on it…along with the words 'evidence against'. It was sent from the Mossad office."

Ziva moved to take the package away from Jenny, but found it impossible. "I can't give this to you. This says it has evidence against you." Jenny said firmly.

"This is Mossad we are talking about director. More than likely, there is a bomb inside of it!" Ziva said not taking her eyes off of the package.

The idea of a bomb, made Jenny move into action. "I carried it down, so it's probably not sensitive." Jenny said quickly.

"You shouldn't have carried it down." Tony stated.

McGee nodded. "Yeah, it could still be time activated or motion…" McGee began.

"Give the package to me director. I have the most experience with bombs." Ziva said hardly.

Without thinking, Jenny handed the package to Ziva. As soon as the paper touched her skin, Ziva moved past everyone and made her way to the emergency doors. Carefully, she ran down the stairs with the others right behind her. Once outside, Ziva found a spot where no one was around. She slowly opened the package and what she saw inside frightened her. "Stop!" Ziva shouted to everyone behind her.

Immediately, McGee, Tony, Gibbs and Jenny froze. They were about five hundred feet away from her. "What is it?" McGee called.

Ziva turned to them. "You…you need to call Hazmat or whatever it's called. It is filled with white power." Ziva said shakily. "Most likely, anthrax."

Gibbs already had his cell phone out. "Ziva, close the container." Jenny said firmly.

Sighing, Ziva closed the box knowing that if she had already breathed in the anthrax, she was as good as dead. Something caught her eye. It was a piece of paper on top of the white powder. It was written in English.

_Now you know we are serious. _

On a hunch, Ziva put her finger in the white powder and licked it. "No Ziva!" Tony shouted alarmed.

"Ziva, stop!" McGee called out.

Suddenly, Ziva began to laugh a bit. "Sugar," Ziva called back to them. "This is nothing but sugar."

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't care what you think it is David. Hazmat is on it's way and you are going to a hospital." Gibbs replied.

"Don't worry! This happened to me before. The nurse is really cute…" Tony began before Gibbs slapped him on the head.

((-))

Three hours later, the NCIS building had been deemed clear of anthrax. The package had been nothing but sugar. Yet, Hazmat wanted Ziva to submit to a blood test in case there had been a small amount of anthrax or other poison in the power she licked.

After having her blood drawn and sitting in the waiting room for almost the entire three hours, Ziva was not in a good mood. Once she too was deemed anthrax free, she was released.

((-))

Back at NCIS, Gibbs let out a mental sigh of relief. He doubted that Ziva's father would send her anthrax or a substance that looked like it. His bets were on Hamas. They were sending Ziva a message that they could get to anyone…even the director of NCIS. Gibbs knew today could have ended in tragedy and everyone around him sensed the same thing.

Ziva entered NCIS looking very angry. "I told you it was sugar." Ziva muttered under her breath to no one in particular.

McGee and Tony heard Ziva. "Gibbs just wanted to go on the safe side." McGee said shrugging. "It may have tasted like sugar, but it could have been a deadly poison."

Looking around, Ziva saw that Gibbs was no where around. "Speaking of Gibbs, where is he?" Ziva questioned.

Tony shrugged precariously. "I don't know. I thought it was McGee's day to keep track of him." Tony said grinning.

"Uh, that was yesterday Tony…" McGee began but was cut off by a slap to the head.

Gibbs was glaring at the both of them. "Are you two done quarreling?" Gibbs asked.

Both McGee and Tony nodded. No one seemed what to say to Gibbs. They didn't have any news to report. "It's nice outside?" Tony guessed with a fake smile.

Gibbs sighed dramatically. "What have you two been doing for the last three hours?" Gibbs questioned. "I was with Abby. She found fingerprints on the package belonging to two well-known terrorists. One is Murad Fadl and the other belongs to Seif Karam."

McGee, Tony and Ziva just stood around looking at Gibbs expecting him to tell them more. "What are you waiting for? Find out everything you can about these guys!" Gibbs ordered.

Quickly, they rushed to their desks and began tapping away on their computers.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The team stood in front of the screen between their desks. "Seif Karam was born in Iraq. His brothers were all part of Hamas and he joined at the age of twelve. He was arrested in the US when he was twenty for robbery, but NCIS has been keeping tabs on him because they know he's a Hamas member." Tony said clicking the mouse and watching a picture appear on the screen. "He's now twenty five."

Once the picture was on the screen, Ziva looked surprised. "That's not Seif Karam." Ziva said quickly.

Gibbs looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean Ziva?" McGee asked.

"Put up the other picture," Ziva ordered.

Tony clicked the mouse and another picture came up. Ziva nodded. "Now it makes sense…" Ziva muttered. "Well, at least part of it."

"Are you expecting us to read your mind?" Gibbs barked.

Ziva shook her head before picking up her cell phone and dialing a number.

((-))

Sitting in an interrogation room, an older man looked at Ziva, Gibbs, McGee and Tony cautiously. "Ziva, I know you've wanted to see me, but these aren't the greatest circumstances…" The man said jokingly.

Ziva smiled at him. "Samir, we need to talk." Ziva said firmly. "These are my co-workers…"

Before Ziva could finish her sentence, Samir shook his head. "Ah, these are the Americans?" Samir questioned.

Placing a folder in front of Samir, Ziva glanced into Samir's eyes. "This man is Samir Regate. He is like a left-hand man to my father." Ziva said not taking her eyes off of Samir.

Tony shook his head. "Right-hand man," Tony corrected to McGee.

"Ziva, please Mossad is very busy in the US with all these terrorists on the run! If you have a question, ask it!" Samir said getting impatient.

Nodding, Ziva smiled. "You haven't looked at the file Samir. I must ask myself why. Is it because you already know what's inside?" Ziva asked calmly.

Closing his eyes, Samir sighed before opening the file. There were two pictures inside of Murad Fadl and Seif Karam. "Hmm…terrorists?" Samir guessed.

Ziva slammed her hand down on the table making Tony and McGee jump. "Don't mess with me Samir! We both know their names aren't Fadl and Karam!" Ziva said getting close to Samir. "I've had a pretty screwed up day Samir, so don't make it worse. My father's trying to arrest me and Hamas is out to kill me! So, try again!"

Samir didn't seem fazed by Ziva's shouting. "Your father never did teach you how to control your anger." Samir said bitterly.

Ziva turned to her co-workers. "I believe these are Mossad officers." Ziva stated.

"Do you care to know their names?" Samir asked sighing.

Smiling, Ziva turned back to him. "Yes, I would." Ziva said calmly.

There was silence as Samir looked at the photos again. "We kept their first names the same. This is Murad Anwar and this is Seif Umar." Samir said pointing to their pictures. "They are working for Mossad."

"Working being the operative word," Ziva said carefully. "Are they undercover as Hamas?"

Samir glanced at her. "Talk to your father," Samir said immediately becoming silent.

((-))

Jenny was flustered when a large, Israeli man entered her office. "Excuse me, who are you?" Jenny questioned firmly.

"I need to speak to Ziva David." The man said coldly.

Now, Jenny was very suspicious. "How did you get in?" Jenny persisted.

When the man flashed a badge, Jenny saw how he got in. "Well, right this way…" Jenny said quickly.

((-))

Escorted by Jenny, the large Israeli man entered Gibbs's team area. Tony, McGee and Gibbs all looked at him curiously. Ziva looked more shocked. The man was at least fifty years old and had a sense of firmness about him. "Papa?" Ziva questioned breathlessly.

Her father, the director of Mossad, glanced at her. "Shalom Ziva," He said coolly.

Now, Ziva began to get suspicious. "You do not fly." Ziva stated. "Whatever is going on must be big for you to get involved in. Are you involved in terrorism like Ari? Or perhaps like the two agents we found who are in Hamas?"

In one swift move, her father was twisting her arm. "What did you say!" Her father shouted in Hebrew.

Gibbs had his gun out. "Let go of her," Gibbs stated coldly knowing it was the Marine in him.

Ziva looked to be in quite a lot of pain. "Stop!" Ziva shouted in English.

There was always a safety word. Stop just happened to be Ziva's and her father's safety word. If there was something going on, all Ziva had to do was say stop. At once her father stopped. "I'm sorry Ziva. I overacted. This whole situation is a mess." Her father said heavily.

"It is a mess. Mossad is getting dirty." Ziva said wiping a few tears from her face.

Her father shook his head. "No! It's nothing like that." Her father said quickly.

Crossing her hands in front of her chest, Ziva looked at her father hardly. "What is it then? Too many Mossad officers are involved." Ziva said. "Tell me what is going on!"

A smile crossed her father's face. "You're just like your mother." Her father stated.

Ziva did not look pleased. "Don't bring up my dead mother to change the subject!" Ziva said icily.

There was silence between them. "Um…we have a conference room. Perhaps we could discuss matters there?" Jenny said shakily seeing that the conversation was gaining the interest of other agents.

"Fine," Ziva and her father said at the same time.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sitting in the conference room, Ziva and her father looked at each other cautiously. Jenny sat on the far side of the table with Gibbs by her side. Tony and McGee sat in-between Ziva and Gibbs. "How have you been Ziva?" Her father questioned quietly.

"You would know if you called." Ziva snapped back.

Her father didn't even flinch. "Yes well, I lost my other daughter to a bomb. Ari was killed and then I find out my son was killed by my own daughter." Her father replied coldly.

Watching her father intently, Ziva realized the reason why she never visited him. "Hmm… last time I checked I too lost a sister and a brother. So, I can't see how your suffering is any different than mine." Ziva said calmly.

"You try losing two children and then realize that the only child you have left is responsible for murdering one of your children." Her father said with bitter.

Now Ziva was down to her last straw. She was getting angry and angry by the second. "Ah, now that I've realized how much I dislike you, let's get back to the facts. Ari was a rouge agent. He joined Hamas. He was going to kill a federal agent. I had no choice but to shoot him. Somehow, you found out about me killing Ari. Now, you knew that you had two other rouge agents, Murad Anwar and Seif Umar. So, you thought by setting Hamas up, you could retire with a clean record." Ziva said with a small smile. "Am I correct?"

Her father did not look pleased. "No, you are not correct Ziva." Her father said hardly. "Samir hasn't told you anything I take it."

Ziva stood up and moved towards her father. "As a little girl didn't you always tell me 'reputation is everything Ziva'?" Ziva questioned.

Sighing, her father shook his head. "Your interrogation techniques do not work on me Ziva. Do not forget that I was the one who taught you them." Her father warned.

McGee glanced between the two and felt very uncomfortable. They both seemed angry…and dangerous. "Do…do you remember how it used to be?" Ziva asked quietly. "Do you remember how Ari, Tali, you, me…how we were a family? We didn't have any secrets and…"

"That was the past Ziva." Her father cut in harshly.

Ziva nodded. "Yes. Now it is you and I. We're the only ones left." Ziva said sadly. "Should you not tell me what is going on, it may only be you left at the end of the day."

Her words hit her father like a brick wall. "Ziva, if you were truly in any danger…" Her father began.

Smiling, Ziva stood up excitedly. "You do know something!" Ziva accused.

Shaking his head, her father did not look happy. "My own daughter beat me at my own interrogation techniques…" Her father mumbled. "Murad Anwar and Seif Umar are undercover as Hamas terrorists."

"Like Ari was 'undercover'?" Ziva questioned.

Again, her father shook his head. "No, they were very clean agents. As soon as they made the package of sugar, they called me. You see, they knew Hamas was after you for killing Ari and they wanted to make sure you were okay." Her father said honestly.

"Why did they make the package?" Gibbs asked from the far end of the table.

"Hamas ordered them to." Her father said shrugging.

Tony now looked disturbed. "So if Hamas ordered them to kill Ziva, they would?" Tony asked.

There weren't many days when Tony didn't think about Kate and how Ari brutally murdered her…right on the rooftop…with one shot… "No." Her father said calmly. "I would never let them do anything to hurt Ziva."

There was a chuckle from Ziva. "Oh you make me laugh! You would never let anyone murder me, but you would have me arrested!" Ziva said sarcastically. "What about those other times when I was in danger? You never came to help me. Amir was always the one to rescue me…or Ari."

"I know you didn't kill Amir." Her father said shortly.

"Why accuse me of it?" Ziva asked.

There was silence. "I assume that Samir will be released. He is a very important part of our American branch." Her father said stiffly.

Jenny nodded. "At once," She responded.

"When are we going to get to talk to Murad Anwar and Seif Umar?" Gibbs asked in a harsh voice.

Her father laughed. "He isn't serious, is he?" Her father asked standing up. "Mossad never threatens mission or backs down from one."

"Then I make it my mission to find them and get whoever is responsible for this mess." Ziva said fiercely.

((-))

Tony, McGee and Ziva sat at their desks while Jenny spoke with Gibbs. Ziva's father had left NCIS, but was planning on staying in the country for a while. Samir was released. "I wonder what the director is talking to Gibbs about." Tony thought.

"Maybe she's telling him not to mess up relations between Israel and America." McGee guessed. "Speaking of relations, what's up with you and your father?"

Ziva shrugged. "It's complicated." Ziva mumbled before turning back to her computer.

Tony was concerned for Ziva, but he knew he could never show it. After all, her half brother did kill Kate. "Maybe she's asking him on a date," Tony said trying to soften the mood.

At once, there was a smack on his head. "Boss!" Tony exclaimed flustered.

Gibbs glared at him. "Where are Murad Anwar and Seif Umar?" Gibbs barked.

"Uh…" McGee began.

"Find them!" Gibbs ordered.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Another day passed. Gibbs ordered them all to go home and get some rest. Ziva had no complaints or arguments there. She just wanted to sleep for the next two billion years. When Ziva entered her apartment, the phone rang. She glared at it angrily. Sighing, she picked it up. "Hello?" Ziva answered.

"We have your _boyfriend_. You'll find his body tomorrow." A voice said in a thick Middle Eastern accent.

There was silence before a shrill sound that let Ziva know the person on the other end had hung up. All Ziva could do was stand there holding the phone in shock. She didn't have a boyfriend.

It was then that Ziva realized who the person could have been talking about. She dialed a phone number. It just rang and rang. "Come on Tony…" Ziva said quietly. "Please pick up…"

No answer. Ziva dialed Gibbs's number next. "Gibbs," A firm voice answered.

"Gibbs, I think Hamas has taken Tony…" Ziva said with tears filled in her eyes.

((-))

_Two Hours Previously_

Tony sat on his couch glancing through an old photo album. He couldn't believe how nice Gibbs had been lately. Well, perhaps _nice_ wasn't the best adjective, but still…Gibbs was acting a bit more…sympathetic. He didn't make them work late into the night. Actually, he never made them work late into the night. He wanted them to, so they did, but they never _had_ to.

To Tony, it was all just so confusing. He wondered how Ziva must feel. The past few days brought up memories of Kate. He wanted to blame Ziva for having such a horrible half-brother, but he couldn't. You can't pick who your family is. Tony understood that perhaps better than anyone. His father was a jerk. Seeing Ziva's father act so…cold, made Tony think of his own father.

Although Ziva's father seemed cold, there seemed to be an understanding between the two. It was like they hated and loved each other at the same time. Tony's thoughts stopped wandering when he ran across a picture of Kate at the annual Christmas party. "Kate…" Tony whispered softly.

Suddenly, there was a banging on his door. He jumped up and set the photo album on the couch. As he made his way to the door, the banging got louder. "Hold on…" Tony muttered. "What is your problem?"

As soon as Tony opened the door, four men entered overpowering him. Tony tried to reach for his gun that was on the table nearest him, but one of the men hit him over the head with a heavy object. "He was more of a struggle than I thought he would be." Another man admitted.

"Let's just lug him to the car and get this over with." One man muttered.

_One Hour Previously_

Tony rubbed his head before opening his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he saw he was in a basement. As he attempted to move his head, he groaned in pain. A Middle Eastern man can into Tony's view. "Shalom Mister DiNozzo." The voice said tiredly. "How are you?"

"What did you hit me with?" Tony mumbled.

There was a sigh from the man. "Mister DiNozzo I shall explain everything to you. Well, not everything, but everything pertaining to your fate. You see, Ziva needs to understand death. I don't think she realized what she was doing when she killed Ari. So, we decided to take her partner and kill you first." The man said shortly shrugging. "Sad, but it is how things must end."

"That simple, huh?" Tony asked.

A laugh came from the man. He nodded. "It is that simple. Now, I ask, how do you wish to die? We can torture, but I don't really feel in the mood. I just want to kill you so I can move on to the next one." The man said quietly.

"Next one?" Tony questioned.

Again, the man nodded. "Yes, the next one will be that boy…what is his name? McGoogle or something of that sort. I have watched him for weeks, but he has such an American name!" The man said shaking his head. "It is worse than the Italian name of DiNozzo."

Curiously, Tony tipped his head towards the man. "What is your big plan? I mean, who are you going to kill?" Tony asked.

"I never like to tell my plans to…lower level people, but since you are going to die, I don't have to worry about you blabbing your mouth. Well after I kill that McGray boy or whatever his name is I plan on killing the director of NCIS. The redhead. Abby something will die after that. Dr. Quack or whatever will be the next. If I feel lucky, I might kill Gibbs. However, my final kill will be Ziva's father. Then, we shall kill Ziva." The man said excitedly. "Perfect, isn't it?"

Tony shrugged. "If you like killing people…" Tony muttered to himself.

This angered the man. "What? What are you muttering?" He stormed.

"Nothing," Tony said quickly.

_Half an Hour Previously _

Tony watched the man carefully, but the man didn't said anything. He just stared at Tony. "Do you know Ziva well?" The man asked at last.

Surprised by the question, Tony nodded. "If you knew her well, you wouldn't be responding. Ziva was an amazing girl, but she had secrets. I really do hate to kill all these people, just to avenge the death of one man." The man admitted. "However, I have no control."

With that, he pulled out a gun. "Shalom Mister DiNozzo," The man said.

There was a gunshot. Then…silence.

((-))

_Present _

Ziva, McGee and Gibbs had their guns withdrawn and were ready to enter Tony's apartment. They didn't need to kick any doors down because the door was wide open. Ziva's heart fell when she saw this. She knew…they had gotten to Tony. There was no need to inside. There was no disturbance. Hamas got him to the door and then took him. It was as simple as that.

Tony was going to die. It was as simple as that.

It is all going to be Ziva's fault. It was as simple as that.

Hamas wasn't going to stop. There's nothing simple about that.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tony glanced up to see the man who was about to kill him lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Above him was another man with a gun. Tony recognized the man. He had a strong, sturdy appearance and was Middle Eastern. At first, he was pleased to see the man, until he realized that this man might not be his ally. The man put the gun away. "Hello Mr. DiNozzo." The man said in a thick accent.

"Um…hi?" Tony squeaked.

Laughing the man nodded. "It's alright. I understand your concern." The man said with a smile. "I am on your side. Trust me."

_Trust you? What do you think I am? An idiot? _Tony thought to himself. "You're Murad Anwar, right?" Tony asked attempting to figure out what was going on.

"Indeed I am," Murad confirmed. "Now, please arise and we shall go to NCIS."

Tony shrugged still sitting on the floor. "How do I know you won't shoot me?" Tony asked.

"I am Mossad. If I wanted to shoot you, don't you think I would have done it now?" Murad questioned.

There was a moment where Murad and Tony locked eyes. "However, if you don't believe me…" Murad said pulling out the gun.

Tony jumped up. Murad threw the gun to the floor. "There," Murad said calmly. "I am disarmed."

Smiling, Tony knew that he could trust Murad. "Where's Seif Umar?" Tony asked.

"He is in the van awaiting to drive us to NCIS." Murad said shortly.

As Tony and Murad began to walk out the door, Tony stopped. "What's going on here?" Tony asked suspiciously. "How did you know my name?"

"All in time," Murad said calmly. "All in time…"

((-))

Ziva thought at that moment she would die. "He's gone." McGee said mystified.

Gibbs too seemed to be in shock for a moment. Then, he went into action. "McGee put an BOLO out on Tony," Gibbs ordered. "David, get a CSU team to check out this door."

McGee and Ziva snapped out of their surprise and went to work.

((-))

Gibbs, McGee and Ziva barely stayed ten minutes at Tony's apartment, which was now being called a crime scene. They all felt awkward being there. Plus, there was quite a lot of work to be done at NCIS.

Sitting at his desk, McGee felt terrified. Last time they had a brush with Hamas, one of their own died. McGee looked at the elevator and saw the oddest thing. He saw Tony enter with two Middle Eastern men. McGee stood up quickly. "Uh boss…you might want to forget about the BOLO on Tony." McGee said shakily.

Gibbs glared at McGee and noticed he was looking at the elevator. Looking in that direction, Gibbs saw Tony along with the two Middle Eastern men. Ziva was now looking towards Tony as well. Once in front of Gibbs, McGee and Ziva, Tony gave them a small smile. "Meet Murad Anwar and Seif Umar." Tony said.

Murad and Seif turned towards Ziva. "Shalom," Seif said calmly in an Israeli accent. "It is a pleasure to meet the director's daughter."

"Indeed it is," Murad said. "Where might the director be?"

Ziva stood looking at Murad and Seif cautiously. "Lift up your pant leg," Ziva demanded.

Murad rolled up both of his tan pant legs. Seif did the same. There was nothing there. "Do you have any concealed weapons?" Gibbs asked.

Seif and Murad shook their heads. "No Mr. Gibbs. We are willing to share information with your director, our director and your team." Seif said. "We were just wondering where the director is so we can brief everyone at once."

Gibbs looked over Tony. He looked calm and didn't appear to be harmed. "McGee, take Tony to Ducky." Gibbs ordered quietly.

"Mr. Gibbs we were not the ones responsible for taking him. We assured that no harm came to Mr. DiNozzo." Murad said.

Tony nodded. "It's true. Murad saved my life." Tony said honestly.

"McGee take Tony to Ducky." Gibbs ordered again more firmly.

At once, McGee nodded and gave Tony a light push towards the elevator. They disappeared from sight. "Mr. Gibbs, we are truly not the enemy here." Murad said.

"Forgive me for not automatically believing you," Gibbs said sarcastically.

Seif and Murad nodded. "We understand your concern. Please, let us just explain ourselves to your director and to our director with your team present." Seif requested again.

Ziva eyed them carefully. "I don't trust you." Ziva said at once. "For all we know, you could be rouge agents. You could be waiting to strangle us with your shoe laces."

Murad chuckled a bit. "I have only met you once before Ms. David. You will most likely not remember it, but you were six. You were running all around the Mossad office looking for your father." Murad stated shortly. "When you were asked why, you replied that you would not trust us with the information."

"I do not recall that." Ziva stated. "What was my reason?"

"Tali had gotten ill." Murad replied.

A small smile formed on Ziva's lips. "I will call my father, but should you attempt to do anything, we will shoot to kill." Ziva promised.

"I would expect nothing less." Seif admitted.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Ducky, Palmer and Abby were all in the morgue. "What if Tony gets killed?" Abby asked quietly. "I don't think I could deal with that."

"Now, now Abigail, Tony is a seasoned agent. I'm sure he'll be fine." Ducky said reassuringly.

Palmer shrugged. "Well, I mean there's a ton of ways to die that you can't do anything about. Look at what happened to Agent Todd, she was killed by a sniper shot. There was nothing she could do, no matter how well trained she was." Palmer said.

Abby now looked close to tears and Ducky did not look happy at all. "Mr. Palmer, no one asked your opinion." Ducky said coldly.

"Asked his opinion about what?" A voice came from the door.

Looking up, Abby saw Tony and McGee standing there. "Tony!" Abby squealed and ran towards Tony.

In an instant she enveloped him with a large hug. "Tony! Tony! You're alive!" Abby shouted squeezing him tightly.

"Yes, I am, but I won't be if you squeeze me any tighter." Tony muttered.

McGee shifted his feet. "Um…Gibbs wanted you to check him out. We're not really sure what happened." McGee said to Ducky.

Ducky nodded. "Abigail if you would please release Anthony a moment so I can check him out…" Ducky suggested.

((-))

Sitting in the conference room, Jenny glanced around the room. Seif and Murad stood near the front calmly. Ziva, Gibbs, McGee and Tony were all sitting down at the round table. Ducky and Abby were also in the room. Jenny assumed that Tony had probably been sent down to Ducky and gotten a clean bill of health. "Where is your father Ziva?" Jenny asked noticing that he was not in the room.

"He is coming." Ziva said calmly.

As soon as Ziva said that, the door opened and Ziva's father walked though it. Murad and Seif nodded towards him. "Shalom," Murad said bowing his head towards Ziva's father. "It is an honor to meet you once again sir."

_Hmm…I'm the director of NCIS and I don't get greetings like that. Mine are always 'What do you want?' It would be so nice if they started off by saying 'Hello' at the least. _Jenny thought with a smile to herself. "Yes, it is also an honor to meet your daughter. She is quite beautiful." Seif said. "A fine woman…"

Ziva's father chuckled. "If you are thinking of marrying her, I suggest you think again. Ziva is hardly wife material." Her father said barely looking at Ziva.

Gibbs was not pleased with all the drama. "Hurry up and get to the point you two!" Gibbs barked.

"Are Americans always so rude?" Seif questioned to Ziva.

Pausing for a moment, Ziva shrugged. "I agree with him. Hurry up and say what you have to say before I feel like shooting someone…like you." Ziva said viciously.

Murad nodded. "Director, we have always been faithful to Mossad. Let us start at the beginning, six months ago." Murad said to Ziva's father.

"Six months ago we were placed undercover as Hamas terrorists. We were approached by a man, the man who had kidnapped Mr. DiNozzo, to have a special mission for Hamas. Our mission was to assist in the downfall of Ziva David. We could not say no or else we risked blowing our cover." Seif said heavily. "So, we began helping them. They wanted to create a very special bomb. Murad and I did not know how to create one, so we forced Amir Nadav to make the bomb. Amir wrote the message to get you out of the house. Hamas didn't want to kill you with the bomb, but they figured you would know there was a bomb. They just wanted to kill a few unknown NCIS agents. Amir knew better than to just trust your instincts. However, Hamas found out he had written the note. They tortured him and said it was to get your address, but it was only for the fun of it. When Amir died, they were rejoiced."

"Did you help torture him? Ziva asked sharply.

Murad and Seif looked at the ground. "Please understand…" Murad began.

Ziva looked horrified. "You helped kill one of your own? Are you crazy?" Ziva asked angrily.

"Our job was to work undercover. We could not risk blowing our cover." Seif said quietly. "We are indeed very sorry for Amir's death. He was a good agent."

McGee looked just as sickened. "Who was behind all this planning?" McGee questioned.

Murad shrugged. "We do not know." Murad said calmly.

"Who killed Seaman Antonio DiGrizzie?" Gibbs asked.

"Probably some new Hamas agent. The big bosses don't want to do the dirty work, they just want it done." Seif answered.

There was a sigh from Murad. "Well, Hamas asked us give your director a scare. They wanted us to create a package that would look like anthrax, but it would only be sugar. We did so, but we had to address it from someone that the director would trust." Murad began. "So we had the package _'come'_ from your father."

Ziva looked at her father. "Why did you accuse me of killing Amir?" Ziva asked. "Why did you want to arrest me for killing Ari?"

Seif sighed. "That was our idea. We didn't want to blow our cover, yet we didn't want to kill the director's daughter, so, we told him the only way you would be safe is behind bars." Seif said with a shrug.

Gibbs glanced at Tony. "What happened to you?" Gibbs asked in a slightly gentle tone.

Tony shrugged. "I was sitting at home when someone knocked on my door. I answered it and got ambushed. I couldn't reach my gun and they hit me on the head. Now, I've got a huge bump there." Tony muttered with a smile. "Anyway, I was held in the basement with this crazy Middle Eastern man. He was going to shoot me and I closed my eyes before I heard a gunshot. I thought for sure I was dead, but when I opened my eyes, Murad was standing there with a gun. He shot the guy and took me to NCIS with Seif."

"Where's this man now?" McGee questioned.

"Dead. In a basement. We shall take you to the former Hamas headquarters." Murad said calmly. "By now, Hamas knows we are assisting you. So, by the time we walk out these doors, we are dead."

Seif nodded. "We can offer protection." Jenny said with a smile.

Murad laughed. "Do you really think that will help? These are very intelligent people. They cannot and will not be fooled." Murad said gently. "That's why we're hoping Ziva, Gibbs and the rest of your team can stop them. NCIS is very smart and probably only a few steps behind Hamas."

"What's their next move?" Gibbs asked.

Tony sighed. "McGee, Jenny, Abby, Ducky, possibly Gibbs, Ziva's father and then Ziva," Tony said quickly. "Or, at least, that's what the guy told me."

Seif wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Gibbs. "This is their former location. You will find the body of the man that tried to kill Mr. DiNozzo in the basement and if you're lucky, some other clues that will help you destroy this chapter of Hamas." Seif said with a smile.

"Are there any other questions?" Murad asked looking around.

No one spoke. "Good then," Murad said with a tiny smile. "Once again, it was an honor to meet you again director. Ziva, shalom."

"Shalom Murad, Seif," Ziva returned.

Seif nodded. "We will probably not be returning." Seif said quietly. "Could you tell my daughter that I will always love her?"

Ziva glanced between the two of them. "Tell her yourself," Ziva said fiercely.

With that, Seif and Murad left the conference room. "Do you really think they will be killed?" Jenny questioned.

There was silence before Ziva's father sighed. "Indeed, they will be killed." Ziva's father said heavily.

On the table, there was a cell phone. Ziva eyed it carefully before realizing that Murad had left it. She picked it up and ran after them.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ziva finally caught up with Murad and Seif in front of the NCIS building. It was a bright sunny day and the sun was directly in Ziva's eyes. "Murad!" Ziva called. "You left this."

Handing him the cell phone, Murad smiled. "Toda," Murad said in Hebrew which meant 'thanks'.

Before anyone could say a word, two gunshots rang out. Ziva barely noticed the glint in the rooftops. All she saw was Seif and Murad fall to the ground. A small hole was in both of their heads and a pool of blood formed around their heads. Ziva dropped to the ground, but realized she could do nothing. They were already dead.

((-))

Gibbs looked over at Ziva sitting quietly at her desk. Tony and McGee said nothing. Ducky already had Seif and Murad downstairs. "Three Mossad officers dead in the span of three days…one seaman…one NCIS agent that was almost killed…" Ziva muttered ticking of the number of people with her fingers.

Tony gave her a look of sympathy. "Ziva…" Tony began, but was cut off when Ziva's father entered the room.

"Ziva, what happened?" Her father questioned.

Looking up at him, Ziva looked pained. "Seif and Murad are dead." Ziva said quietly.

"Didn't you see the sniper?" Her father pressed. "Where was he?"

Standing up, Ziva looked at her father with tears in her eyes. "I failed." Ziva stated plainly. "I didn't see anything."

"We lost three people Ziva. What am I going to tell Seif's daughter? What about Murad's wife? Uncles? Cousins? Children? Spouses? Friends?" Her father said with an edgy voice. "I want this case over with…yesterday."

Ziva closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" Ziva muttered before breaking down in tears.

Her father immediately wrapped his arms around Ziva. "Shh…it's okay. I am the one who is sorry. I shouldn't be so…cold." Her father said quietly. "We're going to get this man. This is Mossad and NCIS's number one case."

((-))

Ducky sighed before making the first incision. "It's odd. I saw these two men right before they died." Ducky muttered.

Palmer nodded. "Well, I can't relate to that, but I guess it must be difficult." Palmer said shortly.

"The most frightening part was that they knew they we're doing to die. They knew Hamas was going to kill them." Ducky said putting the scalpel down.

Palmer had no response for that.

((-))

A beautiful woman entered the NCIS building looking slightly confused. She had stunning blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was very trim and healthily looking. Tony and McGee both jumped up to assist her. "Are you looking for someone?" McGee asked quickly beating Tony to the punch.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I'm looking for a friend of mine. Her name is Kate Todd." The woman said with a small smile. "We were good friends a long time ago and I promised her lunch, but I never got the chance to buy her lunch before I moved away. However, I'm visiting for a few days and I really wanted to take her to lunch."

Tony's face went blank as did McGee's. Gibbs and Ziva were now watching the woman carefully. "I'm sorry miss, but you're a little late. Kate died about a year ago." Tony said quietly.

The woman looked horrified. "Oh no! What am I to do?" The woman questioned.

Gibbs noticed her reaction was not a normal one. "What's really going on?" Gibbs barked approaching her.

"My name is Jessica Down. I was kidnapped and some guy put this on me…" Jessica said opening her blouse to reveal a bomb vest. "He told me to ask for Kate Todd and to tell anyone that asked that we were old friends. He said Kate would know what to do!"

By now, Jessica was in tears. Ziva was already phoning the bomb squad. "Jessica, it's going to be alright. Just stand still," Gibbs said in a calm voice.

((-))

It seemed like it took the bomb squad hours to get to NCIS when in fact, it only took them a matter of minutes. Gibbs had been reluctant to leave Jessica alone, but he also realized that the bomb squad did need to clear the area in case something went…wrong.

Outside, Ziva and her father were eyeing the building cautiously. "I wonder what kind of vest it is. Hamas was using a certain powder when we arrested a member several years ago…" Ziva muttered.

Her father nodded. "Let's just hope it's not that," Her father said sighing.

Tony seemed at a lost for words. He turned to McGee. "Can you believe that Hamas is willing to kill an innocent woman to get their point across?" Tony questioned.

Without blinking, McGee nodded. "Yes, I can. Hamas is ruthless. They don't care who they kill." McGee replied quietly.

((-))

It took forever for the bomb squad to get the vest off of her. They had to cut exactly the right wire or else…there would be no more Jessica and no more NCIS. When the vest was eventually off, Jessica burst out in tears.

After several minutes, the building was deemed clear and the team reentered the building. Tony had been more than willing to get Jessica's statement. McGee thought it was because Tony thought she was cute, but Gibbs knew better. Tony had a sense of maturity about him…when he wanted to of course. Gibbs knew Tony understood the seriousness of the case. Who wouldn't?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was dark. The entire NCIS building was covered in a thick darkness. Looking at the clock, Ziva could tell why. It was past two in the morning. Had she really been here that long?

By ten o'clock, the team had left. All except Ziva of course. Sitting in the silent dark, Ziva wondered what she was doing at NCIS. She didn't have any paperwork to do, but yet, she still remained at her desk. In a way, she was terrified to go home. She'd rather be in a secure government building than at her small apartment. Well, the secure part wasn't really accurate. Hamas had found ways in…

_Stop! _Ziva ordered herself. _You're scaring yourself! _Slowly, Ziva found herself falling into a deep sleep…

((-))

Ziva snapped awake fully alert. Something caught her attention. It was a small creak and Ziva knew. She knew in that instant she was not alone. However, she also knew that there was nothing she could do to stop the attack that was sure to come.

Three seconds after the creak, a large hand grabbed Ziva's arm. When she attempted to break free of the grip, she was met with an excellent defensive move…a Mossad defensive move. Twisting around, Ziva caught a glimpse of her attacker's face in the little light she had. It was an Israeli man.

As hard as Ziva fought to get away, she was no match for a man that was larger than her and knew all of her moves. He quickly overpowered her and Ziva found herself slipping into the darkness…

((-))

It was extremely hot. That was the first thing that Ziva noticed. She was confused. When she tried to stretch her legs, she found that she could not move. Feeling around in the darkness, Ziva felt a carpet like substance all around her. She was in a car. More importantly, the trunk of a car.

As Ziva was feeling around, she felt a piece of paper and a flashlight. She quickly turned on the flashlight and looked at the paper. It was written in Hebrew.

_Ziva, _

_It has been quite fun. Really, it has. However, I am sick of this game. I have decided to take you out once and for all. You will suffocate here in this car. I have left your cell phone so you may call your friends and say goodbye. Be warned, they will not be able to trace the call, I'm far too smart for that. Also, please don't scream. You can, but it is not highly recommended. No one will hear you and it will probably cut your oxygen level down… but hey, it's your death! _

_I am sure that you will agree that this is for the best. _

_Shalom, _

_Reis Fadar _

Ziva felt around for her cell phone. She quickly turned it on. It read five o'clock in the morning. She was prepared to dial Gibbs's number, but stopped. There was one person she had to call first…

((-))

The phone was ringing. It kept ringing, but no one answered it for they were not there. After several rings, there was a cheery woman's voice that answered. "Hello, you have reached the Israel Consulate in Washington D.C. If you would like to leave a message…" The voice began before repeating the same message in several other languages.

There was a beep. "Shalom, it's Ziva…" Ziva began quickly in Hebrew.

((-))

Gibbs heard his phone ringing and he answered it briskly. "Gibbs," He barked even though he was suppressing a yawn.

"Gibbs, it's me, Ziva." Ziva said quietly.

Sitting up in bed, Gibbs was now fully alert. "What's wrong?" Gibbs asked automatically. "It's five in the morning."

Ziva quickly began to tell Gibbs everything that happened and read him the note. "Reis Fadar is a Mossad officer I think." Ziva said slowly. "Gibbs, I don't have much time left. Please, find him."

Gibbs was now getting dressed. "You find him yourself!" Gibbs said harshly realizing that Ziva was giving up.

"I've been in this trunk three hours." Ziva stated.

"Just hold on, okay? We're going to find you." Gibbs promised.

Ziva sighed. "I have no doubt." Ziva said sadly. "But will you find me alive?"

A/N- Sorry about the late update, but I've been really busy and have had a bad case of writer's block!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Tony, McGee, Abby and Ducky were all at NCIS in a matter of minutes. Gibbs had called them and just told them to be there. It was odd that Gibbs called them in at five in the morning, but they never questioned him…especially not today. There was something in his voice…fear? Concern? Sadness?

Gibbs entered looking at them with urgent stares. He had his cell phone in his hand. "I'm putting you on speaker, okay?" Gibbs questioned.

It took Gibbs a second to figure out how to put the cell phone on speaker, but once he did, a voice came over the line. "Hey everyone," A weak voice said dryly.

"Ziva?" Tony asked wondering what was going on.

There was a sigh on the other end. "Could you please explain Gibbs? My voice is as dry as the sand…" Ziva muttered.

Tony couldn't find it in himself to correct the word 'sand' to 'desert'. Gibbs quickly explained what happened. "How long have you been in there for?" Gibbs questioned.

"Three hours," Ziva replied tiredly.

Ducky and Abby exchanged glances. "We'll work on figuring out how much air Ziva has left…" Ducky began.

Gibbs shook his head. "No, that'll just waste time. McGee, Abby, work on figuring out where this cell phone signal is coming from." Gibbs barked.

Ziva found herself dozing off for brief periods of time. "Gibbs, I realize that I'm not supposed to sleep because I may not wake up…but…I'm so tired." Ziva mumbled.

"David, just stay awake!" Gibbs said sharply.

Tony looked at Gibbs worriedly. "Ziva, why don't you tell me why you hate me?" Tony suggested.

"Hmm…I never really did hate you Tony. I never disliked you either. You were just a good friend…" Ziva said slowly. "I just want you to know that…"

Gibbs and Tony appeared even more concerned. "Nah Ziva! We both know that isn't true!" Tony said shakily. "Remember how you said you would teach me piano again? It was when we were trapped in that box. You still haven't done that…"

Ziva glanced around the trunk. There was no way she was getting out. She was so tired at that point that she didn't even care. All she wanted to do was sleep… "My father…" Ziva said weakly. "He has a message on the consulate phone. Can you make sure he gets it?"

"Tell him yourself," Gibbs said sharply.

Closing her eyes, Ziva nodded. "Hmm…" Ziva said resignedly. "Goodbye…"

Tony was now very alert. "Ziva? Ziva?" Tony called in a frantic voice.

Ducky, who was standing nearby, closed his eyes. There was no reply. "Ziva!" Tony said weakly.

"It appears that Ziva has gone into unconsciousness. She will then go into a coma before…" Ducky said quietly. "It really is a peaceful way to go."

Gibbs glared at Ducky. "No one is going anywhere!" Gibbs said. "She said she was only in that trunk for three hours. Could she have run out of oxygen that quickly?"

"Well, it is quite odd seeing as I estimate she should have at least six hours. However, it depends on the size of the trunk. The smaller the trunk, the less oxygen and the less time." Ducky said shortly.

Gibbs cut off the only connection to Ziva by ending the call.

((-))

It was six o'clock and the director of Mossad was just arriving at the consulate. He noticed that his phone was blinking indicating he had a message. He pushed the play button and listened. "Shalom father," Ziva's voice said in Hebrew. "I am dying and it is as simple as that. There is so much I want to say, yet I do not have enough time to say it all. I love you, I really do. I cannot forgive you for your mistakes, but I can't hate you for them either. Mossad is a complex organization and I really hope that things turn out for the best. There will always be spies and I guess there's not much you can do. I am very sorry about killing Ari. I didn't want to do it, but I had to. I regret a lot of things and I miss Tali and mother… My time here was very short, but if I made a difference in just one life, it will have been worth it. I love you dad. Shalom."

Ziva's father broke down in tears at that moment. He realized what he had to do.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Abby and McGee stood in the lab quickly trying to trace the signal. Gibbs, Tony and Ducky entered the lab. "Where is she?" Gibbs asked.

McGee and Abby hung their heads. "It's impossible to trace. Apparently, the guy is very intelligent. He made it so the cell signal would be routed to every location on the planet. He sent it to China then Italy…it keeps going…" Abby said quietly.

Tony closed his eyes. "What now?" Tony asked.

Gibbs bit his lip. "We wait." Gibbs replied.

"Wait for what?" McGee asked.

A small tear ran down Gibbs's face. "Wait until we get a report of a car with a body of an NCIS agent in it," Gibbs answered.

((-))

Ziva's father entered the NCIS building. He quickly glanced at the clock which read six thirty in the morning. He walked right up to Gibbs's desk. "I want to report a murderer." The director of Mossad said firmly.

"Who is it?" Gibbs asked tiredly.

Ziva's father sighed. "Me," He said.

((-))

Tony, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Gibbs were all watching Ziva's father curiously. "Who did you kill?" Gibbs questioned.

"My daughter…Ziva…" Ziva's father said heavily.

McGee looked confused. "You…" McGee said trailing off.

"I heard Ziva killed Ari. I was furious. Hamas had a hit out on her as well. They killed Amir, Antonio DiGrizzie, Seif and Murad. Amir, Seif and Murad were all good men. Hamas sent the package with sugar in it. Hamas also put the bomb on that woman. They were getting close to killing her and suddenly…I realized how much I hated her. Ziva…murdered my son! There was a Mossad agent, Reis Fadar, that I knew was working for Hamas. He was leading the entire plan to kill Ziva. I asked him to kill her at once and told him how to get in to NCIS and so forth." The director of Mossad said quickly. "I got a message from Ziva and…and…I realized that she is my daughter and I love her more than anything. I just want her back…"

Gibbs looked at the man sitting in front of him with disgust. "Where is she?" Tony asked sharply.

The director of Mossad gave them the directions. "You're lucky I don't kill you." Gibbs muttered angrily as he quickly left.

((-))

There was nothing but forest all around them. It was a dirt road and the black car was far down it. Gibbs practically jumped out of his car and raced towards it. Tony and McGee were not far behind. Tony had a crow bar and pried the trunk open to find…it was empty.

Gibbs's heart stopped. Ziva was not here. Suddenly, the car door on the driver's side opened. Tony, McGee and Gibbs all had their guns out in seconds. "NCIS! Don't move!" Tony shouted.

"Don't shoot!" A female voice shouted. "Don't shoot! It's me!"

Slowly, Ziva walked out of the car. Tony, McGee and Gibbs put away their guns quickly and ran towards her. "Are you okay?" McGee questioned.

"Ducky!" Gibbs shouted.

Ziva gave them a small smile. "I seriously thought I was going to die when I awoke after calling you. My cell phone was dead by that time, so I couldn't call again. It was during that time that I realized that Reis Fadar was Mossad agent that my father had problems with. Quickly, I understood who had ordered to place me in the trunk. It was my father. I got mad so I clawed out the carpeting in the back of the trunk and used my hairpin to jimmy the lock open." Ziva said shrugging. "I was about to hotwire this car when you came up."

Tony laughed. "Only you Ziva…only you…" Tony muttered happily.

Ducky appeared at Ziva's side. "For a woman who spent nearly five hours in a locked trunk, you look quite healthy." Ducky said shortly. "But we should still have you checked out by the paramedics."

((-))

**Two Weeks Later **

Ziva was finally back at work and relieved by the looks of it. She was watching the news as no one else was here so early. A beautiful news reporter smiled. "In Israel, a new director for Mossad has been appointed after the previous director was charged with attempted murder. Now, we don't know exactly who he was trying to kill, but sources say it was another Israeli. The new director is Samir Regate who acted under the pervious director. And in other news…" The reporter said quickly.

Turning the television off, Ziva let out a little laugh. "Samir…" Ziva said shaking her head. "Who would have thought?"

Tony entered and didn't act like his usual self. "Quite today," Ziva noted.

"I was just thinking." Tony said shortly.

Ziva laughed again. "Now that is dangerous!" Ziva said with a grin.

"I'm sorry about what happened." Tony said honestly.

Ziva shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll die another day and another way." Ziva said gently.

**The End **

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.

A/N- Sorry about the slow updates. Like I've said, I've had writer's block with this piece. If you liked this story, check out my other stories.

Kylie Anderson


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